No Sugar Read Free Page A

: Where they gonna get work?
    SERGEANT : They’re afraid to look for it in case they find it.
    MILLY : Cockies want ’em to work for nothin’.
    GRAN : They not slaves, Chergeant!
    SERGEANT : Well, they’ll have to work if you want luxury items like soap.
    MILLY : Look, last week my Joe cut a hundred posts for old Skinny Martin and you know what he got? A pair of second-hand boots and a piece of stag ram so tough even the dawgs couldn’t eat it; skinnier than old Martin ’imself.
    GRAN : And we couldn’t eat the boots.
    MILLY : You wait till brother Jimmy hears about this no soap business. He’ll make you fellas jump.
    SERGEANT : Yeah, and you tell that bush lawyer brother of yours, if he comes here arguing I’ll make him jump: straight inside.
    They turn to go. As they leave he raises his voice after them.
    You hear me?
    MILLY : [ calling ] Yeah, I hear you. Can’t help hearin’ you.
    They walk down the street.
    GRAN : [ calling ] You don’t want to shout like that, Chergeant. You’ll ’ave a fit, just like a dingo when he gets bait.
    MILLY : [ calling ] Seein’ you’re drinkin down the Federal every night, Sergeant, you can tell old Skinny Martin to stick his stag ram right up his skinny kwon !
    GRAN : [ calling ] Yeah, an’ the boots too.
    They exit, laughing and hooting Nyoongah fashion. The SERGEANT returns to the police station, puts the ration book away and settles down to reading the newspaper. MISS DUNN finishes typing the letter. She hands it to NEVILLE , who reads it quickly.
    NEVILLE : [ signing it ] Thankyou, Miss Dunn. We’d better get a thankyou note off to Mr Neal.
    MISS DUNN : I can do it straight away for you.
    NEVILLE : All right; Mr N.S. Neal, Superintendent, Moore River Native Settlement, etcetera.
    Dear Mr Neal, just a short note to thank you for your… thank you and Matron for your hospitality on our recent visit to the Settlement. The Settlement is looking splendid, considering, obviously a credit to you both. The conduct of the ceremony was a tribute to your military precision, and the afternoon tea, especially Matron’s homemade lemonade, was splendid on such a hot day. As I mentioned, I was a little concerned to see so many dirty little noses amongst the children. I’m a great believer that if you provide the native the basic accoutrements of civilisation you’re half way to civilising him. I’d like to see each child issued with a handkerchief and instructed on its use. Funds as always are short so I’ve taken the liberty of ordering several bolts of cloth from Government stores. I’m sure the girls in the sewing room could run up the handkerchiefs. I take your point about losing them and suggest attaching them to their sleeves by way of a tape. Likewise, as discussed, the stores branch will henceforth be supplying limited supplies of toilet paper for use in the dormitory lavatories. I think some practical training from yourself and Matron in its correct usage would be appropriate. If you can successfully inculcate such basic but essential details of civilised living you will have helped them along the road to taking their place in Australian society. Again, many thanks to Matron and yourself. Australia Day at the settlement is something I’ll always look forward to.
    Yours, etcetera.
    I’d better get this off to the Minister. I’ll be back after lunch.
SCENE THREE
    Government Well, dusk. Magpies are carolling. CISSIE is preparing a damper. JOE and DAVID play two-up with bottle tops. DAVID has the headers.
    DAVID : Come on, set me up. Not beer tops, wine tops.
    CISSIE : [ calling ] Joe! Make a place for the damper for me.
    JOE : [ laughing, to DAVID ] Don’t make no difference.
    DAVID : It does.
    JOE : Why?
    DAVID : Wine cost more than beer.
    CISSIE : Joe! Joe, come on.
    JOE : Okay. Okay.
    CISSIE calls impatiently. The dough is beginning to fall apart.
    CISSIE : Joe, hurry up!
    JOE :